Brandon Twp.- Military families will receive a special gift this Christmas, made right here in the township.

About 50 blue spruce Christmas trees grown at the Candy Cane Christmas Tree Farm, 4780 Seymour Lake Road, have been delivered to the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as part of the Trees for Troops program.

On Nov. 29, dozens of local volunteers gathered at the tree farm to load the 50 donated trees, as well as another 300 trees from other northern Michigan farms, on to FedEx Freight trucks. This is the first year that Candy Cane Tree Farm has been selected as a pickup point in the Trees for Troops program, although they have participated through donations in the past.

Cathy Genovese, co-owner of Candy Cane Tree Farm, said the National Christmas Tree Association spearheaded an effort to send trees to military families several years ago. This year, Michigan Christmas tree growers will donate 1,000 real trees as part of the program in which more than 16,000 total trees will be given to troops and their families at 48 military bases across the United States.

Genovese said 25 to 30 of the trees from Candy Cane were purchased by customers to be donated. Genovese donated the money from those purchases to the Christmas Spirit Foundation to fund the program.

“We’re thrilled about this program,” she said.

“We’re so glad to bring some joy to the families of those working on behalf of all of us to protect our country. They do so much for us, this is the least our industry can do to show our support for them.”